An American Auror
by Eloria Windrider
Summary: Eloria, an Auror from America, comes over to Britain to help in the first battle against Voldermort. Besides finding adventure, she delevops deep relationships with Lily, James, Remus, the Longbottoms, Moody, Dumbledore, and above all, Sirius Black.
1. Prolouge

In the house of Black, the Order of the Phoenix was throwing a celebration party to honor Hermione and Ron becoming Gryffindor prefects. Most people were in the kitchen. Moody was showing Harry something and pointing at it with his wand.  
"What's that you've got there, Mad-eye?" Sirius asked, and Moody turned toward him. Harry crossed the kitchen, slipped through the door and up the stairs, while Moody handed the old tattered photograph to Sirius.  
"An old picture of the Order. Look at you, with short hair." Moody pointed his wand at the image of the younger Sirius who was waving. Sirius looked at the picture, while Moody made the figures move around with his wand, naming each as he did so, much the same as he did with Harry. Sirius's eyes however were looking intensely scanning every square inch of the picture. He seemed to be looking for someone.  
"She's not there." Sirius said, with a distinct tone of disappointment and sadness.  
"Taken after I suppose," was Moody's gruff reply. Sirius looked up then, and stared into nothingness, thinking of a time before the photo was taken.  
  
Many months later, right after Christmas, Sirius was once again in the company of the Weasleys, Hermione, Order of the Phoenix members such as Moody, Lupin, and Tonks, and of course, Harry. The thrill of the Christmas season was over now, and the days droned on. Mr. Weasley remained in the St. Mungo's, his leg healing from the stitches fiasco. Sirius's once happy mood was dying off now with the thought that everybody would be leaving and he would remain in the empty house. Overall, nothing really eventful happened in these few days. Except for one dinner, a few days before the New Year.  
  
The whole crowd was gathered at the dinner table, eating one of Mrs. Weasley's hearty meals. It had been a long time since Moody and Lupin had actually had time to sit down together and converse. Moody pulled a beat up and very old looking photo out of one of his cloak's pockets and handed to Lupin.  
"I showed Harry before their term started...as well as Sirius." Moody said, handing the picture over to Lupin.  
"The old Order! I had wondered if any photograph had managed to survive..." Lupin exclaimed, looking the picture over. "There's you Moody, with hey, your entire nose. And oh yes, Lily and James," Lupin pointed at each witch and wizard with his index finger as he said there names. "Edgar Bones...and even Dumbledore." Lupin's eyes were darting around. "Everyone's here aren't they?" He paused for a minute. Squinting his eyes, he scanned the old photograph once again. "Wait. She's not here."  
Moody took a swig out of his hip flask, and wiped his mouth with his hand. "Sirius and I looked for her earlier. If I remember correctly this was taken right after." At these words, Sirius all of sudden froze in place, with a look of absolute pain on his face. It took a minute for him to regain his composer. Before anyone could say anything about his strange behavior he quickly spoke.  
"If you would excuse me. Wonderful dinner Molly," Sirius said rising from his seat and walking out the kitchen door, and up the stairs.  
"Still won't talk will he?" Moody said, his magical eye following Sirius out of the room. "I'd of thought he would have been over it by now. How long has it been? Over fifteen years now."  
"I wouldn't be over it Moody," Lupin said, defending his friend, his tone beginning to rise. "What happened...nobody should have to even see that, let alone go through it."  
"Er, is this a private conversation?" Harry interrupted. Moody and Lupin looked at Harry, and suddenly remembered that he was there.  
"Who are you talking about?" Ron questioned, now more bold since Harry spoke up. He leaned in slightly, with a look of extreme anticipation on his face. "Who is this...'she' you keep talking about?"  
At this point Hermione had stopped talking to Mrs. Weasley about cleaning spells. "What I would like to know is what exactly 'happened'?"  
"And what does Sirius have to do with any of it?" Harry demanded. By now the whole table had grown silent. Moody and Lupin were looking at each other. Lupin sighed and looked down. Moody's magical eye was still facing the back of his head, where it had last been when it followed Sirius. His regular one was transfixed on Harry. "No one's told ya?" he asked, his tone that of wonder. "No one's ever told ya about...Eloria?" "Who?" Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Tonks all said together. Mrs. Weasley got up, and started to clear the table. Her face was solemn, her eyes looking down at the floorboards.  
Moody stared at Tonks with both eyes. "You don't even know about Eloria? I would have sworn the ministry had tested you on her technique in your Stealth and Tracking section."  
"They might have," Tonks said while shrugging her shoulders. "I barely passed that section, and don't really remember any of the fancy details. So, who is this...Eloria is it?" Tonks finished off her biscuit. "Peculiar name." she added and took the last biscuit from the center of the table, and knocked over a glass of water.  
Lupin looked up at the wondering faces. He sighed once again, and finally spoke. "Eloria was part of the Order...last time." He took a swig of butterbeer.  
His regular eye watching his acquired audience, and his magical eye peering at Lupin, overall Moody had a distint look of impatience on his scarred face. "One of the damn best auror's too might I add." Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other with excitement. "She died," Moody added, his tone very dark.  
Lupin's face grew solem and said "She was poisoned. In the line of duty. Yet only after being captured and tortured for information."  
Hermione's eyes grew large and her mouth dropped slightly opened. Ron choked on his mouthful of treacle tart. Tonks looked sad, yet not surprised. Harry just sat there, as if someone had glued him to his seat and his face was stuck.The group sat silent for a bit. Tonks finally managed to break the quiet.  
"Well, many aurors do...die that is. It's a dangerous job. Not that unexpected."  
"You don't understand. You weren't there. Besides being capabale of telepathy, having extremely powerful magic within her, Eloria had a brain to rival Hermione's." Lupin said as he smiled at Hermione, who was blushing. "And, the way she went. As I said before, no one should have to see that, let alone go through it."  
Harry was moving again, listening to everything. "Will you tell us about her? What did she do?" Harry asked Lupin, his eyes filled with the longing to know about this mysterious witch.  
"Well, Moody'll have to help me. I don't remember all of the details." Lupin took another swig of his butterbeer.  
"You start." Moody took a drink from his hip flask.  
"Well, I first met Eloria..." Lupin began.  
  
Upstairs, Sirius was stroking Buckbeak's feathered back. His face was a pale white. Walking over to a corner, Sirius sat down. He had heard mutterings of the conversation at the dinner table through the walls. He looked in his hands, where he was holding a small, old-fashioned pocket watch. In the dim light, a single tear reflected off of Sirius's cheek. 


	2. The Librarian

A woman walked down a run-down, graffiti covered street. Stepping into a beat up phone booth, she looked at a small strip of paper that she held in her hand. She picked up the receiver with her free hand, and glanced down at the small piece of parchment.  
"All righty then...ummm...six, then a two," and as the woman said the numbers aloud she dialed them on the phone. "And a four, followed by another four...and then a two." At that moment a pre-recorded sounding female voice filled the entire phone booth.  
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."  
The woman smoothed out her blouse, and said, "Eloria Felton, here to take the British Auror test and become certified." The woman's voice was very flat, and she spoke as if she was very tired.  
The pre-recorded female voice started up again. "Thank you. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes," and at that moment out of the change bin appeared a square silver badge which stated Eloria Felton, Auror Certification. With an exasperated sigh she grabbed the badge and pinned it on the front of her perfectly pressed blouse.  
"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium," chimed the female voice, but at that moment the floor of the booth began to sink, and carried the woman to down underneath the street and buildings. The darkness was starting to annoy the woman, for she could not read or do anything useful. Luckily a gigantic blast of golden light filled the phone booth at that moment that was so bright, the woman had to shade her eyes.  
The sound of the female voice saying, "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day," followed the woman out of the open door and into the long, highly decorated hall. Passing the many golden fireplaces where witches and wizards would pop out of every few seconds or so, and taking no notice of the enchanted blue ceiling with its changing gold symbols, the woman walked determinedly down to the end of the room, to a desk. The sign above it read "Security."  
"I assume this is the place I have to give you my wand or what not," the woman demanded the man who was sitting behind the desk, reading the Daily Prophet. He had not seen her coming, and her loud voice startled him, causing him to jump slightly in his seat. "Well, is it? I don't have the entire day you know."  
The man looked at the strange woman who was standing in front of him. Her hair was drawn back into a tight bun, and she wore a pair of wire framed glasses. Her white lacey blouse was perfectly pressed, as was her khaki, knee length skirt. Her brown loafers just emphasized her resemblance to a librarian. If she had not been standing right in front of him in the Ministry of Magic, he would have sworn she was a muggle. In her right hand she carried a silver briefcase. It must have been 2 feet across, and 1 1/2 feet tall, yet only an inch thick. The man stared at it, wondering if you could even keep a notebook in there until he noticed the woman tapping her foot impatiently.  
After squinting to read the badge that was pinned on her blouse, the man finally said, "Eloria Felton is it? Well, yes you are in the right spot. First let me check you over." He took a golden rod and passed it up and down her front and back. "Right," he grunted and held out his hand. "Wand." She placed the silver briefcase on his desk, right over the paper he had put down. Eloria undid the latches, and pulled out her wand. The man took it, and placed it on a special set of scales that only had one dish. After her wand vibrated a bit, a piece of parchment came out of the base of the instrument. The man picked it up, and began reading aloud, "13 inches, unicorn-hair core, been in use for..."The man paused for a second, and glared at the strip of parchment. With a puzzled looked he finished, "...Been in use for 73 years?" He thought that the woman before him was in her years a bit, but not that old.  
"That is correct," Eloria said, eyeing the man suspicoulsy. Grabbing the wand from the man, she shoved it in her suitcase, and closed it up. She took a step towards the golden elevators, but then backtracked and asked the man, "May I ask where I can get out of these clothes? If I have to wear this blouse for one more minute I am going to go insane."  
The man had picked up his paper again, but lowered it so he just see over the top. For the first time she saw the man smile. "There is a woman's lavatory over there," he grunted, and pointed to a door that was to the left of the fountain.  
"Thank you, so much," Eloria said, with a great look of appreciation in her eyes, and she headed off to the bathrooms. Opening the gilded door she found a woman's powder room, where the walls were lavishly decorated, and a large pink squishy chaise was in a corner. Across from the chaise was an armoire, which was presumably full of robes. Stuffed away into he far corner was a full vanity, including lotions, many different scented perfumes, and a gold leafed mirror. Sitting down at the vanity, Eloria once again slammed her silver briefcase, this time on the vanity table, and undid the latches. Piece by piece she took off her costume. The wire framed glasses came first, followed by the white frilly blouse, and brown loafers. The khaki skirt was off soon after. Using the mirror she undid all of the bobby pins and the large clasp which had kept her hair up in such a tight bun. Reaching into her briefcase she pulled out a plain dark grey robe, a pair of worn jeans, and a green knit sweater. She stuck her hand into her briefcase once again, and after searching for a bit revealed a pair of running shoes and two green socks. After putting this all on she looked into the full length mirror that was on the door in which she came in.  
The woman had an oval face, which was outlined by naturally wavy raven-black hair. Her grey eyes were neither stunning nor plain, but very intense. Her pale skin was unmarked by freckles or the sun, yet a few pink scars could be made out. The clothes she had put on were not fancy and she would look more like a muggle than a witch if it weren't for the robe she wore. She had a medium frame, yet a distinct figure. Before in her librarian get-up she looked at least 20 years older. Now, one could see that she was rather young, and looked like she had just graduated school. Observing herself in the mirror, Eloria gave a sigh of relief.  
"Now that is more like it," she muttered while carefully repining her silver badge on the front of her robes. She took a glance at the makeup that covered the vanity table. Eloria however didn't wear makeup.  
After giving her hair one last look over in the mirror, she grabbed her briefcase and left the powder room, headed towards to the far end of the Atrium again. From the corner of her eye she saw the man at the security desk take a distinct double take. Winking at him, she boarded one of the empty elevators whose doors had just opened. Besides a few fluttering paper airplanes that circled above her, Eloria had the lift to herself. She once again heard the female voice that had filled the phone booth.  
"Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office."  
"Nope, not me. I'll just wait till I hear the right department I guess..." Eloria puzzled, hoping that the elevator would keep ascending on its own.  
Once again the female voice chimed, "Level six, Department of Magical Transport, incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparation Test Center."  
Eloria face was now filled with concern and she began muttering again. "Father said I didn't need to go there, but since I just did travel..." But before she could finish her thought, a man entered the elevator doors. He was a bit heavy set, with flaming red hair. He was carrying what looked like a bewitched skateboard. Its wheels were turning on its own, and it kept trying to rise out of the man's hands.  
After managing to keep a hold of the skateboard and pushing a number, he turned to face Eloria, who was now standing next to. "So, what floor are you?" he asked, gesturing to the buttons.  
"Well, ummm..." Eloria paused. "I don't really know. You see, I think I'm supposed to go to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, to see someone about my papers." She looked at the man who was standing next to her now, whose face showed his confusion. "See, I just came from America to get certified as a British Auror. But before I can see anybody about that I have to have some papers checked out," Eloria said hoping to clear things up a bit. The man's face lit up with comprehension.  
"Yes, you have the right department. That's level five. You'll probablly want the 3rd door on your right when you get there. After that you'll probably want to check out level two, where the Auror Headquarters is." The man smiled.  
"Thank you so much. Things are pretty different here than at the MAA office...my name is Eloria by the way. Eloria Felton." She extended her hand to the man. It appeared to be difficult for him to keep a hold of the skateboard and put out his right hand, yet after a minutes' struggle, they managed to shake hands.  
"Arthur Weasley. Pleasure to meet you Eloria."  
Right then the female voice announced, "Level five, Department of International Cooperation, incorporating the International Magical Trading Standards Body, the International Magical Office of Law, and the International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats."  
"Well, that's my stop...thanks again!" Eloria said, stepping out of the elevator.  
"Come and visit me in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office after you pass your test!" Arthur said smiling and waving as the doors closed.  
Turning around to face the office in which she just stepped in, Eloria took a collective breath. Looking around, she said to herself, "Right then." 


	3. A Few Weeks

Eloria found herself in a clean, organized corridor, where there were a few sets of oak doors on either side of her. Hoping that Arthur was correct, she opened the door that was 3rd on her right. In front of her lay a large desk with an older wizard sitting behind it, scribbling down something with a quill. A small sign hung on the side of the desk that read "International Magical Registry for Britain." Once again Eloria looked at the small piece of parchment that was clutching. Barely able to read her father's chicken scratches, she managed to make out something that looked like "Go to Registry and show according papers."  
"Well, he did say he was 100% sure these directions were correct," Eloria thought, yet a look of doubt still remained on her face. "And I just hope that he gave me all of the paperwork."  
Approaching the desk, the small wizard scribbling looked up. He eyed her badge suspiciously, and started to scatter papers on his desk as if he were looking for something. Without looking up, he handed her a blank form and a quill.  
Grabbing the form from the man she slammed it onto the desk. She dipped her quill in the ink so fast and furiously that ink splattered the desk and then pounding the tip on the parchment so hard, the quill went through the paper several times. Her eyes were slits and her lips were so tightly pursed that it looked as if someone had glued them together that way. Mumbling to herself as she went, Eloria unwillingly filled out the form.  
"Name...Eloria Felton...Where I originally lived...Seattle, Washington....stupid forms...must have filled out a blasted million by now..."  
The man behind the desk, who was now moving the large stacks of papers and looking under them, took no notice of Eloria's irritation. He himself began muttering as well.  
"Eloria...Felton...F...F...where is it...He swore he put all arrivals out today..."  
Eloria had almost completed the entire form without pausing, until she reached the last question located at the very bottom of the page. Eyes growing wider and making a big gulping sound, she lowered the quill slowly, and wrote something on the parchment. Without checking it over she hastily handed it over to the man behind the desk as if it were a hot coal.  
After removing a large stack of green colored papers he produced a purple folder with "Felton, Eloria" marked on the front. He stood up and finally he met Eloria's eyes.  
"Eloria Felton?" he asked, even though he had read her badge earlier. He took out a paper that she had just handed him and started reading it. "From Seattle, Washington right?"  
Eloria nodded. Eloria was starting to grow impatient with all of the repetitive questions and formalities that she had to deal with throughout the day. Why didn't she just tattoo all of her personal information on her forehead.  
"You trained at the AAWA, Auror Academy of Western America that is, and graduated top of your class? And your here to...oh my. You're here to take the official Auror Exam and become a certified Ministry Auror? Because...what does your form say...you feel as if your skills are needed here more?"  
Eloria nodded to all of the man's questions, yet her eyes were narrowed and brow furrowed. She had quite enough of him reading her files. She had lots to do and she had already wasted valuable time answering questions people already had answers too.  
The man kept questioning Eloria however. "You were given permission to come over by Bartimus Crouch himself? You must be pretty important to have the head of a department to sign. Yes, that is all in order. "Now who signed for you on the other end?"  
Eloria slammed her briefcase on the desk, undid the latches yet again, and took out an extremely long piece of parchment with minuscule writing. At the bottom there was a large, loopy signature with a golden wax seal. Handing the document over to the man, Eloria said, "This is my release from Washington. You'll find everything is in order," and pointing to the signature at the bottom she added, "And that is the signature of my releaser. His name is also on the bottom of the form that you were just reading." Crossing her arms, Eloria began to tap her right foot impatiently.  
The man took the paper, and while looking it over, began to talk. "It's a big thing, becoming an Auror in another country...so your permission to leave came from...," and the man took a double take before answering. "It was Patrick Felton? A MAA, or Magical Association of America that is, official?" Coming out of his monotone that he had used while questioning her, the man suddenly seemed excited. "How did you get a MAA official to sign? Felton...any relation by chance? A distant uncle or something?" the man demanded Eloria.  
She froze in place. After a moments silence, Eloria gritted her teeth, and in a tense, forced voice she answered, "He's my father."  
The man's eyebrows rose and his eyes widened. His voice became very high pitched and practically a squeak. "You...your his daughter? The daughter of the man who runs the entire wizarding world on the Pacific coast? The daughter of Patrick Felton? Well, the Ministry will be glad to have you." Returning to his regular state, he handed Eloria the purple folder with her name written across the front and a loose sheet of parchment. "Your official wizarding passport is in the folder, along with a copy of your Auror certificate from the AAWA and the stamped approval forms which shows you are in this country legally," the man said pointing at the purple folder. "Now that," he said pointing at the piece of parchment, "is the form that will allow you to work for the Ministry as an Auror. Once you passed the test that is."  
"So I really do have to take your test? I mean, aren't my scores from the AAWA enough?" Eloria whined. She had been hoping that she could join and start fighting immediately. For over a year now she had been working to get here, where she would actually be needed. Her father had warned her that she would probably have to take the test, but there was still that inkling of hope in the back of Eloria's mind that she wouldn't. The man looked up from the papers he was sorting. "Yes, afraid you will. Ministry rules. You will find the Auror headquarters on the second floor. Meet a man named Higgins whose cubicle is in the back. He's in charge of certification and will help you with everything else."  
"Well, thank you anyway," Eloria mumbled, and before the man could say anything more in his annoying high-pitched voice she exited out of the oak doors and entered the lift at the end of the corridor.  
"So much for British hospitality...stupid Ministry of Magic. The MAA would never put anyone through this scrutiny." Eloria began to furiously pound on the elevator button with the number two on it. Luckily, before she could break the thing, the doors opened and she walked in. Crossing her arms again and sulking, Eloria began to think.  
"I better be able to take the test today or tomorrow. I will not sit around her like I did at home. I graduate at the top of my class and even have invented spells and potions which American Aurors use everyday, yet what do I end up doing? Sitting around being a decoration. I want to fight. A good duel with some evil wizard or being makes my day. America hasn't had any evil wizards for years now. The most evil thing there right now is the fast food restaurants that muggles insist on building. I don't even want to think of all the calories I consume with one of those Big Mac's..." and Eloria's thoughts began to wander.  
Every so often, the doors would open, the female voice would sound which would interrupt her train of thought for a second. Luckily, a witch carrying a ream of papers bumped into her just in time to hear the voice announcing they were at the second floor. Pushing her way past a young blond hair wizard with a boyish face and an older fat witch, Eloria came to yet another corridor. Not even noticing the bewitched windows, she opened yet another set of heavy oak doors. What she found inside this time though was very different. Before her was a large airy room, filled with cubicles. Each cubicle had a witch or wizard in it, conversing with a neighbor, studying some document, or merely thinking. Eloria noticed the small sign tacked up on a cubicle that read AUROR HEADQUARTERS.  
  
Eloria's whole body tingled and she felt as if she had just eaten a levitating sherbet ball. For many years she had dreamed of becoming one of the Ministry of Magic's Aurors. Since the age of 10, she had worked long hours and studied hard hoping to achieve her dream. Since American Aurors were a bit of a laughing stock in the international community, Eloria had made her plans to come to the United Kingdom from when she first graduated the AAWA. A long, tedious year it took for everything to process yet she was finally here. Standing in front of the best dark wizard detectors in Britain, and arguably the whole world.  
With a large smile and small bounce in her step, Eloria walked past the various cubicles, all anger and impatience temporarily forgotten. A few witches and wizards watched her walk by, while some did not even notice she was there.  
"Now the dude said to meet a Higgins? I just hope he's here..." Eloria thought. Reality was starting to sink in, and her stomach felt as if someone had tied it into a square knot. She had to impress whoever she met. They were already going to be biased since she was foreign, but she was more concerned that her skills would not be up to par. She had struggled a bit with Coding on the Auror test...  
At this point Eloria's palms were so sweaty they could barely keep a hold of her briefcase. Her heart rate was so fast she swore that she was going to go into cardiac arrest. Luckily, before she could pass out a cubicle at the end of the room with the name Alexander Higgins clearly marked appeared before her eyes. The man sitting inside the cubicle looked as if he was young but had a rather hectic life, for though is face looked no older than thirty, many worry lines and wrinkles had developed around his forehead and eyes. His dirty blonde hair stuck out at odd places and his robes were wrinkled. He was reading a long scroll of parchment, and did not notice the young woman standing less than 5 feet from him. Scared to interrupt, Eloria quietly tapped the cubicle.  
"Sir? The man from the International Magical Registry sent me here. I'm Eloria Felton, here to see about taking some exam?" she said in a voice barely above a whisper. When she spoke Higgins sat straight up, and turned around to inspect the source of the voice.  
"Ah, Eloria! Welcome! I have anxiously been awaiting your arrival! It's not often we get anyone from America in our office, wanting to join our own team!" Higgins had a very loud booming voice. Eloria was surprised that nobody turned their heads because she was sure the whole room could have heard what he just said. Shaking Higgins's extended hands, her confidence was slightly restored to the point she could speak in a normal volume.  
"Well, I'm honored to be here. But I suppose we should get to business. So, tell me when I can take this test and begin work!"  
"Well someone is enthusiastic!" Higgins boomed. "Well, I assume you know what will be on the test; considering you have already taken one...this is all just because of formality. I do not doubt your ability at all. Anyway, just in case you want to know more, and maybe refresh a bit, here is a test outline," Higgins said as he thrust a gigantic book into her arms that was about as heavy as a baby dinosaur. "And that's about it! After you pass someone will sign that ruddy form of yours and you can start! I am sure that the Minister of Magic will want to meet up with you. You being the daughter of an official and an Auror!"  
"Well, that would be wonderful, yet right now I'm just focused on taking the actually exam. So, when can I take it? It would take almost all day so I suspect it would be tomorrow rather than today..."  
Higgins looked down at his shoes for a bit and when he finally did look up at Eloria, his face was full of guilt. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. When he finally did speak it was much different than his room-filling voice that he had a minute ago.  
"You see...I do know that we had arranged to have you take your...your exam...right after you arrived. But...er...since...because of...er...recent events..." Higgins stammered. "Because of recent events...and that some...countries have...uh...lower standards than ours...and we have many of our own waiting...to take the test that is...you will have to wait a few weeks before you can take your exam and become certified." With those final words Higgins looked as if he had just taken a 2 ton load off of his shoulders.  
However, Eloria's face suddenly changed; she no longer wore a happy, pleasant facial expression. Instead, her face could rival that of a tiger about to sink in for the kill. For a while, she just sat there thinking.  
"A few weeks. It might as well be a few years! They would never do this to anyone from their own country. It is because they don't believe I am up to par." Anger was building up inside of her with every word, causing enormous pressure, like water against the side of a dam. "So, they think they can put me off do they? That I am not worth their bloody time! Well..." When there is too much pressure on a dam wall, water will break through the wall. Much the same thing happened to Eloria. Suddenly, words started pouring out of her mouth.  
"A few weeks. A FEW WEEKS! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN A FEW WEEKS! I HAVE WAITED OVER A STUPID YEAR TO GET HERE, AND THE MINISTRY AS WELL AS MY FATHER, THE OFFCIAL OF THE PACIFIC COAST, ASSURED ME THAT I COULD BEGIN AS SOON AS I GOT HERE!" Practically everyone in the office had stopped talking and turned to see the source of the blood curdling screaming and yelling. Eloria was shaking with anger at this point. Taking no notice of everyone else in the office, she continued on yelling Higgins's head off.  
"YOU BLASTED BRITISH! NO RESPECT FOR PEOPLE, WHO HAPPEN TO BE JUST AS QUALIFIED AS THEMSELVES! A FEW WEEKS! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO NOW? SIT AND ROT FOR A FEW WEEKS!" At this point, all of the bottled up tension Eloria had developed over the past year came out. It seemed all the stress from filling out the many, tedious forms, contacting the many rude people, and dealing with all of the legal formalities was coming out now. The yelling calmed Eloria. She began to regain her head, and her voice started to die off. Fifteen or so minutes after she had started her outburst, she stopped. The entire office still stood, staring. Higgins slowly peered over his arms that he held over his face.  
"Is...Is it safe to come out now?" he murmured. He even dared to give a soft chuckle at his own joke. Eloria however did not find it amusing.  
"So...Mr. Higgins, when should I come back, to take this exam."  
"I was going to get to that. Well, how about two weeks from today? Okay with your schedule?"  
"Well it would be now, wouldn't it, considering the sole reason I came here was to take it?"  
"Oh. And the Ministry is putting you up at the Leaky Cauldron, where you can stay free of charge until you find a permanent residence. You can take use the Floo Network to get there," Higgins added, handing Eloria a piece of parchment with some quickly scribbled directions. "All expenses for food and travel will also be taken care of by the Ministry..  
"Money is not an issue. What is any issue however is this stupid system of yours..." Eloria began, her voice rising again. Higgins interrupted, before she could start up again. "And the Ministry has arranged for you to meet prominent Aurors and be briefed about your duties. That way, you can start as soon as you take the test."  
He turned around to face the piles of papers on his desk once again, but stopped, and slowly met Eloria's intense gaze. His face dropped, and once again he looked as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.  
"Sorry about this. I assure you it has nothing to do with you. It's just that the Ministry is very busy in times like this." Higgins extended his hand. Reluctantly, Eloria shook it.  
"So, you are welcome to come and visit this office any time," Higgins said, gesturing to the cubicles around him. "And if you need any help, any at all, I am always here. Well, almost always anyway."  
"Good day Higgins," Eloria said, her voice as cold as ice. And with those words she stormed out of the office. Not until the giant oak doors closed behind her did the talking that once filled the office start once again. 


	4. Allergies

Eloria stomped loudly down the hall, swearing under her breath. Once again she attacked the elevator button. Her finger began to throb after her vicious attack on the elevator's pushbutton system, and so she stood, arms crossed.  
"Stupid British. A few weeks. Always found themselves superior to others..." said Eloria. Her once cheery, yet somewhat frightened face now wore a rather large frown and an intense stare now. Thinking of how arrogant the British were throughout the past 200 years, Eloria walked into the now open lift that stood before her. Fuming the entire time, she didn't notice the man with a thick moustache bump into her, or even the black hair witch who stepped on her foot. Eloria was too mad to care anymore. Occasionally, she muttered random phrases under her breath, which caused the other passengers in the elevator to stare at her.  
"Them and their infuriating "two Monday's from now"....let's just insult one of the top ranking Auror's in America...though they are probably so full of themselves they didn't even bother to read that on my paperwork...or the fact I am capable of..."  
But before she could finish, the female voice chimed while the elevator doors opened, and the Atrium glistened before her. Eloria felt the only way she was going to release some of this tension was to curse someone, and after realizing she couldn't do that until she had taken the test, she became even madder than before. Eloria stormed over to one of the many fireplaces that lined the hall, surprising herself even that she didn't crack the tiles she was stepping on. For the first time she noticed that she still held the small piece of parchment in her hands that Higgins had given her. Looking at it, she read the somewhat slurred, but legible "Floo Powder on top of mantle; The Leaky Cauldron" that was written in blue ink on the small fragment of paper.  
"Fine then. Floo powder," Eloria thought to herself, her eyes scanning the mantel that hung over the elaborate stone fireplace that was before her. Noticing a small box with an elaborate coat-of-arms engraved in it, she cautiously reached in. After the time a friend thought it would be funny to stick a toad in her pencil box, Eloria never put her hand willingly into anything in which she could not see the contents. Yet her hand did not feel a toad, but rather a fine powder. Taking a handful of the stuff, she threw it into the fire.  
"I hate, I loathe, I despise traveling by floo powder," she muttered, so only she could hear. Stepping into the green flames as if they would eat her alive, she took one last glance at the piece of parchment she was now clutching in her hands. Her sweat had smeared the writing even more, but she could still read. She grasped her briefcase as if to reassure herself that everything was going to be okay.  
Her voice slightly wavering as she said, "The Leaky Cauldron." In a flash, she was consumed by green flames.  
  
Eloria stumbled out of a small fireplace. Her face, hands, and clothing was coated in a layer of dust, dirt, and ash. Her eyes were watering and Eloria began coughing uncontrollably. She couldn't see where she was. She heard voices, but was unable to understand a single word because of her loud coughing. Her arms extended in front of her, she stumbled about, looking for a solid object. She knew she was allergic to ash as well as the floo powder iteself, and she knew that she shouldn't travel by Floo Network. She hated how she remained totally open and unprotected for a lengthy bit of time afterwards. If it was one thing she had learned from the AAWA, it was never be unprotected.  
Unable to see or speak, Eloria could not protest when she felt someone grabbed her by the shoulders, and began guiding her. She was maneuvered around what she could only guess were people until she a pair of rather rough, wrinkled hands placed her own hands on what felt like a wooden barstool. For a moment her coughing ceased, yet before she could even open her mouth she let out a loud sneeze. As her coughing began to start up again, she hoisted herself up onto the stool. Sitting there, in an unknown place, unable to explain her situation, Eloria felt helpless. After a good length of sneezing, coughing, and eye-watering she began to regain the use of her senses. Yet after looking around a bit, Eloria wished she still was having an allergy attack. She was in a small, somewhat cramped, grimy pub. There were a few people sitting at the small tables, drinking and talking. They all glanced at her, and then resumed their conversations. She found herself sitting alone at the bar, with an old man standing beside her, staring.  
"You okay, miss?" questioned he old man. Taking a glance at his hands, Eloria reasoned he must have been the one who led her to her seat. Taking a moment to brush off some of the dust that coated her body, Eloria looked gratefully at the man. For no reason he had helped her when she was helpless. Eloria concluded that maybe Britain wasn't so bad after all.  
"I'm fine now. Allergies to ash you know. Um, where I am? And might I be so bold to ask who you are?" said Eloria, as she looked around the place.  
"You are in the Leaky Cauldron. Bar, pub and lodging. My name is Tom, the landlord," said Tom, walking behind the bar. He began to wipe off some wet glasses. "And how might I help you?" he added, smiling a rather large, toothless grin.  
"Name's Eloria Felton. Right now all I really want is a good, stiff drink," said Eloria, who was once again attempting to clean herself of the dust. Even though she normally didn't drink, her father disapproved and she knew it ruined one's liver, she felt the occasion called for one.  
Chuckling softly, Tom asked, "What will it be? Firewhiskey? Sherry? Ale?"  
"Whatever is strongest," said Eloria, now laughing herself. Eloria realized how good it felt to laugh.  
Eloria began to look about as Tom poured her a shot glass of an amber liquid. An old witch sat hunched over in a small corner. A group of younger looking wizards were avidly discussing some matter at a round table to her right. The fireplace where she had just made her entrance was now gray from the ash she had stirred up. Obviously not a lot of people came to the Leaky Cauldron via the Floo Network. Taking a sip of the drink Tom placed in front of her, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning around she saw an enormous man with shaggy black hair.  
"He must be at least 10 foot tall, maybe even 12..." thought Eloria. She turned back around to face the aged bartender.  
"The Ministry told me I could stay here for a while...until I find a place of my own. Do you happen to have any room?"  
Now filling a gigantic tankard with ale, Tom looked up at the dirty, tired woman who sat before him.  
"Yes, plenty of room. How long will you be staying, and do you need anything special in the room?"  
"Well, at least two weeks, probably longer. A desk would be nice...oh, and so would a fireplace." Eloria hoped that Tom would remain as willingly to accommodate her. Yet far from being taken back, Tom's face lit up.  
"Got the perfect room for you. Room 7. After your done," said Tom, gesturing to the shot glass that Eloria was clutching, "I can take you up there."  
Gulping down the last of her drink, she nearly slammed her glass on the counter. Smile spread across her face, Eloria jokingly said, "Done." Laughing, Tom stepped out of the bar and stopped in front of Eloria, who hopped off of the bar stool.  
"Your other bags miss?" He looked down at her briefcase and scanned the surrounding bar area and fireplace.  
"This is it," Eloria said, eyeing the large hairy man again.  
"That's it? And you're staying a few weeks?" Tom's eyes widened in surprise.  
Handing her the briefcase over, Eloria said, "Do I look like a witch or not?"  
Not expecting the briefcase to weigh much, when Tom took the handle from Eloria, it sunk to the ground. With a grunt he hoisted it up on his hip and hobbled over to a wooden staircase. In between breaths, Tom spoke.  
"Not...implying anything...miss. Just...merely wondering...you see...many...times...people plan to stay a while...they...have...lots of luggage."  
He led her to a door with a brass number seven on it. Taking an old fashioned key out of his pocket, he unlocked and opened the door, revealing a fairly large, cozy-looking room. A bed was in the corner, and a desk next to that. A dresser was tucked away in the other corner. A fireplace was across the room from a full length mirror and door, presumably leading to a bathroom.  
"Perfect, thank you very much," said Eloria, taking her briefcase back from man as well as the key, she walked in.  
Placing her briefcase on the bed, she yawned and said "Sleep. That's what I want. That's what I need. Sleep." Taking her wand out of her robes, she lazily flicked it.  
"Abdo Sarcina."  
  
Nothing happened. She flicked her wand again, this time as if she were swatting a fly and repeated, "Abado Sarcina." Still, nothing happened. Eloria was growing impatient. Stomping her foot this time, flicking her wand as if she were going to hurl it across the room, and she shouted, "ABADO SARCINA!"  
Her briefcase opened, and hoards of clothes flew out of it, and folded themselves neatly into the dresser drawers. Yawning again, she pointed her wand at the dresser.  
"Accio Pajamas." Nothing happened yet again. Eloria was very, very tired and she looked somewhere in-between crazed and furious. Jumping up and down, she pointed her wand at the dresser again.  
"AC..CI...O....PA...JAM...AS!"  
A pair of flannel pants and a large black shirt which read "Auror Academy of Western America, Class of 1978" in bold white letters flew over and landed on the bed in front of her. While she was changing, she noticed a large red mark that was beginning to turn blue on her leg.  
"Blasted briefcase. Must have bumped into me using the floo powder," she said, rubbing it. "Gotta see if they have bruise balm around this place. Or any place I can buy it. I will never travel the Floo network again. Father always said it was a stupid mode of transportation." At this point Eloria gave a large yawn, and went under the comforters. Whether it was she was so tired or that she was just relieved to be here at last, Eloria felt that no other bed in the world could be as soft and comfortable. Mumbling to herself, the last thing she said before she fell asleep was "Maybe...Britain isn't so bad." 


	5. Five in the Morning

Eloria was snuggled up in her bed, the side of her head buried in one of the fluffy pillows. Then, in the middle of a wonderful dream about a black haired cabana boy, she woke with a start. Eloria could have sworn she felt a very sharp, piercing pain in her leg. She remembered her bruise from traveling by Floo powder the previous day, and buried her head in her pillows once again. Then it happened again. A sharp, pinching type pain on her leg. Opening one eye she first forgot where she was.  
"This isn't my bedroom...oh wait. Right. I'm there...wait, here...oh whatever," Eloria said out loud. It was too early for her brain to string together coherent sentences. Realizing she was staying at the Leaky Cauldron, once again Eloria proceeded to fall back asleep, and once again she felt the very sharp pain in her leg. Finally sitting up, Eloria rubbed her eyes. Her vision was very blurry, and from the darkness that consumed her room it must have been fairly early. After rubbing her eyes for a bit, she managed to see a bright-eyed barn owl staring directly at her. Perched on top of her thigh, the bird proceed to pierce her part of her leg that was not underneath any blankets with its very sharp beak.  
"You feathered beast! Get...off...me...now!" screamed Eloria, kicking the bird with the leg it just nipped. Undaunted, the bird flew back and this time perched on her side of her bed, right next to her. Trying to think for what reason in the world would an owl, very early in the morning, be bugging her about she noticed a piece of parchment at the end of her bed labeled the Daily Prophet.  
"So you are a mail bird? Great. Give me a second," Eloria mumbled. It was too early for her to enunciate. Looking around her for her briefcase which she had left on her bed, she noticed it had toppled onto the floor. The briefcase lay open, facedown on a large pile of junk that presumably fell out of it.  
Putting her arm out, her hand open, Eloria narrowed her eyes and very sternly said, "Accio Wallet...ooh yeah and Accio Wand." From under a pile of papers, a rather large cauldron, and various other things a leather wallet and a wand flew up and onto her bed in front of her. Eloria then realized she had no idea how much to pay the bird.  
"Well, its seems to know how to wake me up. I guess it will tell me when I have put in enough," thought Eloria. She looked down at her bruised, and down bleeding leg. "Great...."  
Taking a large coin pouch out of the fold of her wallet she withdrew a bronze knut from its contents. The owl stuck out is leg which had a small leather pouch attached, and she dropped the single coin in. The owl proceeded to nip her hand. This went on until Eloria had stuck five knuts into the owl's pouch. It then flew out the small window located next to the dresser. Rubbing her eyes grabbed, Eloria her wand.  
"Accio Watch," muttered Eloria, who was no rubbing her eyes with her free hand. A metal watch came zooming out from under a silver spray bottle. Looking down, Eloria nearly fell over and had a heart attack. Instead, she began yelling.  
"FIVE MINUTES AFTER FIVE! FIVE MINUTES AFTER FIVE! THAT STUPID...BLASTED...STUPID...FEATHER-FLUFF BALL GOT ME UP AT..."  
With an exasperated sigh, she stopped. Dumping her watch, wand, wallet and coin pouch onto the floor again, she snuggled back up in the pillows, and attempted to fall asleep again.  
"Cabana boy...here I come," said Eloria, trying to get comfortable. Yet after tossing and turning for ten or so minutes she gave up her hopes of getting back to sleep. Practically throwing herself out of bed, Eloria looked longingly at the soft mattress and pillows. She never got up before 8 for school even, let alone 5:05 for some stupid paper. Remembering what the bird had delivered, she grabbed the rolled up parchment that lay at the foot of her bed. To her surprise a small note fell out of the paper as she opened it up to read the headline, "Darkmark Found Over A Muggle Home This Morning." Bending down to pick up the note, Eloria's sore leg bumped into the handle of a broomstick that was protruding out of her open briefcase. Swearing loudly, she stood up and hopped over to her bed. Recognizing the quick but legible writing, her eyes narrowed as she read.  
  
Dear Eloria,  
The Ministry has supplied you with a complimentary subscription to the Daily Prophet. We expect to see you today in the Auror Headquarters to arrange matters regarding your test at around ten. You shall also be meeting people today as well.  
Sincerely,  
Higgins  
  
It was far to early for Eloria's brain to process that much information in that little time, so after rereading it several times the meaning finally sunk in. With a grunt, she hoisted herself off her bed and went to the dresser.  
"Great. Now since I'm meeting someone I have to actually care about how I look."  
Looking over at all of her sweaters, jeans, shirts, robes she decided that not even for the most powerful wizard of all time, was she going to get dressed up. Pulling on beige knit sweater, some tighter fitting jeans, and a form fitting navy blue robe, she trudged over to the bathroom. After an attempt to battle her hair and makeup, she looked at herself in the full length mirror. Dark circles under her eyes, her hair looking as if someone rubbed a balloon against it, and her clothing somewhat wrinkled, Eloria was satisfied with herself for 5:20 in the morning. She was about to open to the door and go have some breakfast when she saw the large, and ever growing pile of things under and around her upside down, open briefcase. She narrowed her eyes again and a deep look of concentration filled her face.  
"Accio Wand," she said, her arm extended. She was looking at herself in the mirror again.  
"I am not a morning person," she said aloud, and to her surprise the mirror gave a chuckle.  
"Quite right dearie," it wheezed.  
Grabbing her wand, Eloria flicked her wrist very rigidly and much as her clothes had done the night before, the items unpacked themselves, some settling themselves in various spots int he room, others falling back into her briefcase which had moved to lay face up on her bed. Pocketing her wand, she walked over to her now organized briefcase, and pulled out her wallet and coin purse from it. Making sure it was latched very tightly, Eloria left it on her bed, and proceeded to walk out of the door.  
  
Her feet seemed to stomp so loudly on the wooden stair cases Eloria was descending, a large booming echo filled the pub below. The few people sitting down eating and early breakfast turned their heads to glance at the somewhat mad-looking woman who was coming down. Settling herself down at the very same barstool she had sat at the day before, she saw the comforting, toothless smile of Tom.  
"What do you want miss? Looks like you could do with something," he said, looking at Eloria's weary face.  
"Well, I'm not one for breakfast, then again that's probably because when I get up, its time for lunch. Yet I should have something today. Can you do an egg over easy and some toast? Oh, and one of whatever you gave me yesterday please." Eloria began rubbing her eyes again, for her vision had become blurred. Her leg ached painfully, and as Tom brought over her food, she remembered she must find an apothecary.  
"Tom? Do you know where I could find an apothecary?" she questioned, rubbing her painful leg.  
Tom's eyes widened and with a great look of surprise on his face, went back behind the bar.  
"Not from around here are you?" he questioned.  
"Well I would have thought that was obvious."  
"Well miss, you are right at the entrance of Diagon Alley. Any wizarding item you need will be there. Just go out there," Tom said, pointing towards a backdoor, "and into the small courtyard area. On the back facing wall, use your wand to tap the brick that is three up and two across. You'll be led right to it."  
"Fank oo ferry mouch," said Eloria, her face full of toast and egg. Taking a swig out of the shot glass Tom had also given to her, she sat upright. Now she was somewhat awake at least. And she knew where she could treat her leg as well.  
Before Tom could walk away, Eloria gestured for him to come over. An elbow resting on the bar, Tom listened as Eloria explained her experience with the post owl this morning.  
"So you see, I was wondering. Is there any possible way in heaven to have the bird deliver it to someone down here, they take the money from my tab, or bill me or anything, and then I could pick the paper up later that day? As you can probably see, I do not do well when I am woken up at 5 in the morning," she finished, and began to rub her leg again.  
"Well miss, I have never been asked that before," Tom began, but Eloria interrupted.  
"I will pay you double the amount the paper costs. Triple if it so be. Just as long as I have no bird, anything on that matter, waking me up at five in the morning."  
  
With a laugh, Tom replied, "No problem."  
Finishing off her shot glass, she smiled and Tom and went to the back door. Tapping the brick third up and two across on the back wall, bricks started to move, making a hole in the wall. Eventually an archway formed large enough for anyone to get through and what she saw in front of her was amazing. A bustling street filled with shops and people lay before here. Signs swung in the gentle breeze, displaying the stores wares. Parents held children's hands as the shopped. Some witches were standing in a group, talking avidly about something.  
  
"Now this is what I call shopping," Eloria said out loud.  
Since she lived in America, she was used to the occasional wizarding shop stuck in-between a Starbucks or Borders. Most things you would order through stores on the other side of the country. Never had she seen a whole plaza of wizarding stores before. In awe, Eloria slowly walked down the cobblestone street, gazing at everything around her, only half-looking for the Apothecary. She nearly stopped dead at the site of the Quality Quidditch Supplies store, yet a painful twinge reminded her of her mission.  
  
"Besides," she thought, " It's a Quidditch store. Not a Quod one..."  
  
Eloria left Diagon alley unwillingly, but it was already 9 o'clock and she was supposed to arrive at the Ministry at noon. She had gone to the Apothecary, and with the help of an elderly witch she bought some top of the line bruise balm, (for the purple color) and some essense of murtlap (for the bleeding) that she could use for her now very sore and painful leg.  
Not being able to resist temptation entirely, Eloria went into Quality Quidditch Supplies. She looked the store over head to toe. Though she had tried Quidditch in the Seattle, and was a decent beater, she preferred playing Quodpot. She was amazed by the tiny fluttering snitches that were scattered about the store, the bludgers that fought their ties, and the moving posters displaying various Quidditch teams.  
What really interested Eloria however, was the non-magical quaffle. As a Quodpot player, she was facinated to see the origins of her favorite sport. She picked a quaffle up off the wrack and began tossing it from hand to hand. She did this for a very, very long time, and in sporadic points would flinch, as if she heard a loud, sudden noise. Eloria's odd behavior had attracted the attention of a store clerk.  
"May I help you?" the young wizard asked Eloria, who was still tossing the quaffle around.  
"Oh no. I'm fine thank you," she replied, not even pausing her tossing for a minute.  
"You sure?" the man questioned. It seemed he had not recognized her very obvious American accent which normally made Eloria stick out like a sore thumb. Turning towards the man, she stared at him, and caught the quaffle. Holding it as if she were giving it a hug, she spoke to the main with a tone that resembled a mother lecturing a son.  
"Yes, I am sure. And if you are wondering what I am doing, you could have just asked for heaven's sake. Don't go in circles around the point. What I am doing though, is observing the origins of the quod if you must know. Also, unlike the quod, the quaffle is much lighter and has a slightly better gripping charm."  
Once again she began tossing the quaffle around.  
  
Laughing slightly as she remembered the experience with the sales associate, Eloria went through the magical passage way of Diagon Alley, and entered the Leaky Cauldron. She had just enough time to run up to her rooms, treat her leg, and get to the Ministry.  
"And this time, I can use Apparation," Eloria mumbled as she took the stairs up to her room two at time. 


	6. Have Fun

Fumbling around with her robe pockets, Eloria finally revealed the old-fashioned key to her room. Unlocking the door, Eloria walked in and set her bag from the Apothecary onto her bed. Sitting down on the bed, she took a sigh and her eyes were filled with terror. She rolled up her jean on her right leg, revelaing a swollen, sore, very bumped up looking shin.  
"Stupid bird. Wansn't half this bad yesterday," Eloria said, looking over the damage. She reached into her bag and pulled out a jar labeled "Essense of Murtlap." She took off the top and stared into the liquid. She bit her lower lip, and only being able to stand one eye open, Eloria poured a droplet of the contents of the jar on her injured leg.  
"Yeowww...." Eloria shrieked, yet stopped in mid yelp. "That didn't hurt. No stinging, no burning, no nothing. Huh." Now with a less frightend stance, she dumped the rest of the jar onto her leg. The once bleeding sore was now painless, and much to Eloria's releif no longer looked like hamburger meat.  
"I really must get more of this stuff. A painless cut treatment...who would have thought."  
She then reached into her bag again, this time with a smile as she looked at her slightly improved leg. Now she pulled out a small purple container. It was an odd oval shape, with a highly decorated gold lid. In fancy gold calligrpahy, "Bruise Balm" was written across the front. Unscrewing the lid, a strong, milky order filled Eloria's nostrils. Placing the lid besider, she stared at the thick purple cream that lay inside the embellished container. Scooping some of the stuff onto her hand, Eloria then proceeded to rub it into her black and bruised shin. Instantly, the violet colors faded and completely vanished much to her relief.  
"There we go. Practically like new." Although Eloria was used to getting injured adn having to treat her wounds herself, she still didn't enjoy it. Yes she could go to a healer, but Eloria hated to wait and why wait when she could do it herself? Time is the most valuable and is not to be wasted was Eloria's belief.  
Eloria sat on the bed for a minute, kicking her newly healed leg up, she admired her handywork. She glanced to her left side, and remembered her briefcase. Eloria stuffed the lid on the bruise balm and threw it into her briefcase. She began to dig around in her suitcase again. Although most of its content had been taken out and placed around her room earlier, it was still quite a mess in there. With a yank and a heavy pull Eloria managed to yank out a long-handled broom.  
"Stupid spell. It's supposed to unpack everything..." she muttered as she got up and placed her beloved Nimbus 1000 beside her bed.  
Looking at her nightstand, she found that her watch was nicely laid out, and read 10 minutes to ten. At first Eloria just walked on, but then backtracked. Grabbing her watch, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped.  
"Ten minutes to ten! I'm supposed to meet Higgins at ten! Crap!" Running around her room franictly, Eloria grabbed the many papers and large study guide that had unpacked themselves onto her desk. Hastily shoving them into her briefcase, Eloria grabbed the handle and ran into the hallway outside of her room. There was a large crack and she was gone.  
  
Thud. Bam. Thunk. Eloria lay on the ground outside of what she recognized as the oak doors which led to the Auror headquarters. She lay on top of something rather large and uncomfortable. The thing grunted. Sitting up, Eloria looked underneath her. There lay a black haired man, face down, limbs sprawled out. He looked vaugly familar and as Eloria stood up, she remembered where she had thought she saw him before- he was identical to the cabana boy she had dreamed of the night before.  
"I am so terribly sorry," Eloria managed to get out, her hands convering her mouth. Bending over, she grabbed the man by the elbow. "Here let me...help...you." Wtih a heave she finally managed to get the man up. Standing in front of her was an attractive man who couldn't have been much older than she was. He had neatly styled black hair and grey eyes. He had a rather dignified air about him, and Eloria stood, staring. Her eyes couldn't have gotten wider and she had to hold herself back from drooling.  
"The the hell were you thinking?" The man finally spoke, rubbing his arm. He looked up and met Eloria's wide eyes. "Where you trying to kill me, or did it just work out that way?"  
Shaking her head slightly to reawaken herself from the fantasies that were playing though her head, Eloria's eyes glared at the man and she crossed her arms. "Hey! I didn't purposly apparate into you. Give me a break. This is the second time I have been here and how was I to know you would be standing there that exact second? I already apologized. God." Stooping down, Eloria picked up her briefcase and not even taknig a glance at the man, she threw open the giant oak doors that lead to the Auror Headquarters.  
"Men....British men...UGH!" Eloria said as she trudged across the room to Higgins's cubicle. She glared at the carpet, as if she were challenging it to a deul. "Arrogant British men..."  
Before she realized it, she stood before Higgins. He was sitting down reading some papers again. No longer fearing the man before her, she threw several punches at the side of his cubicle, making a large booming sound which filled the office. Higgins jumped in his seat, and breathing hard, turned and faced the tornado which stood before him. Eloria crossed her arms, tilted her sholders, raised and eyebrow with a distinct, "Go ahead. Make my day," kind of look on her face.  
"Eloria. Glad to see you could make it. I have someone special for you to meet today, as well as discussing some of your certification requirements. I hope you opened that study guide I gave you last night. So how was your first nigt in jolly ole' England?" He smiled and looked at at Eloria. He only recieved silence. After a long, awkward pause for Higgins, Eloria finally uncrossed her arms, lowered her sholder and eyebrow, but her daring expression remained.  
"How was my first night in jolly ole' England? Well, I was jolly well woken up by a jolly ole' bird at jolly ole' 5 o'clock in the morning, thanks to jolly ole' you," said Eloria, drawing out the last five words.  
"Do you mean the Daily Prophet owl? Yes, they do deliever rather early," Higgins said, his voice rebervirating off the walls. "Anyway, I must go over a few things with you." Turning around again, Higgins grabbed a stack of papers off of his cluttered desk. Placing them directly in front of him, he drew his wand out of his robe pocket and with a few mumbled words a stool appeared beside his own office chair. Guestering for Eloria to come sit down, he began to sift through the special stack of papers.  
Dragging her feet, Eloria sat on the stool beside the man. The desk in front of her was filled to the brim with papers. Some were stamped in red with "CERTIFICATION: APPROVED" on the top, while others were stamped, "PENDING." Eloria noticed that the stack of papers that Higgins was looking at had the latter stamped on top. Higgins then pulled out a piece of parcment with blue ink scribbled on the entire lenght of it. Eloria recognized that as one of the forms she had filled out earlier that year.  
"Right then. You have an impressive resume here Eloria. Top of your class at the AAWA? That is quite a feat..."  
"You know what the heck the AAWA is?" Eloria gasped, her eyes wide and any looks of aggressive looks on her face were long gone. "You know that me graduating top of my class is worth something? It's a miracle! A Brit actually knows the Academy."  
Higgins looked at Eloria in shock. Her abrupt change in mood caught him off gaurd.  
"I know its a prestigeious Auror traning institute. Maybe not the best in the world, but it gets my seal of approval anyway. Why are you so shocked?" Higgins asked.  
"Why am I shocked? Why? Only because when I was trying to get over here, half of hte people I had to talk to in the UK thought I would never be good enough beacuse I came from an "unknown school." It's not as if I didn't got to Kingsbury for most of my life, oh no. Kingsbury is equivalnt to Hogwarts when comparing it to British schools, but oh no, it's not good enough. Then the fact I went to a special Auror school for two years didn't seem to matter to them either, oh no. The fact you know about the Academy floors me."  
"They didn't know about the AAWA? I'm ashamed of my own for once. But anyway, I really must talk to you about presenting your resume before your test..." and Higgins began discussing the contents of the piece of parchment with Eloria.  
  
Two hours later, Eloria was laughing at one of Higgins's jokes, and finally looked up from the pieces of parchment in front of her. The office was cosiderable louder now, and bustling with activity. She then remembered that Higgins said she was going to meet someone today.  
"Higgins?" Eloria asked Higgins who was quitely chuckling. He stopped, and looked up at her.  
"Yes?"  
"Weren't you supposed to take me to see someone today?"  
Higgins sat, hand resting on chin and obviously deep in thought. Suddenly, the light bulb seemed to turn on.  
"By George your right!" Higgins boomed, jumping up and out of his seat. He startled Eloria so badly she too jumped about five feet off her stool. She leaned against the side of Higgins's cubicle, trying to catch her breath. Higgins however took no notice of Eloria.  
"He should be in by now. I arranged for us to meet around twelve...and oh look! It's tweleve ten. Come on Eloria!" Grabbing Eloria's arm, Higgins pulled her down the small hallway leading to the doors. In and out of rows of cubicles the pair swerved, and finally stopped in front of a peculiar cubicle with a very peculiar man in it.  
The man's face was coverevd in scars from Eloria could only guess what. His longer hair was wiry. He wore a long, very worn looking traveling robe and had a hip flask attached to his belt. What was the strangest thing of all though, were his eyes. One was a perfectly normal sized and shaped brown eye, while the other however, was very large, a shade of blue, and was spinning every which way one could imagine. Far from being taken aback or frightend, Eloria squeeled.  
"Alastor Moody! The Alastor Moody! One of the best Aurors of all time!" Eloria screamed. After a pause, she finally managed to squeak out "It's an honor sir..." and extended her shaking hand.  
Both eyes fixed on Eloria, Moody took the trembling hand and shook it firmly.  
"You told me this American was different Higgins, but you didn't say she belonged in St. Mungo's..." Moody said in a rather gruff voice. After letting go of Eloria's hand, the man stood and looked at the woman in front of him as if she would explode instantly. Eloria took no notice though. She was stiff with excitement. Throughout her days at the AAWA, part of her schooling was researching famous Auror's and their technique. She had written a paper on invisibilty for her Stealth class, and one of the very points she made was regarding Aurors like Alastor Moody who could see through ivisibilyt cloaks. To be meeting the man she researched seemed unbelievable.  
"Mr. Moody...sir...I hope I haven't frightened you. It's just that I have reserached your...abiliites so to speak and to be meeting the man himself..." Eloria stood beaming at Moody. Higgins was smiling contently on her left side.  
"Researched me? Well." Moody motioned for Eloria to sit down on a wooden chair in the corner of his cubicle.  
"I really must return. Along with her body, Eloria brought a lot of paperwork," said Higgins, as he began to walk away from the cubicle. Yet before he left he leaned over slightly and whispered in Eloria's ear, "Have fun." 


	7. Conversations

Eloria had no conception of how much time had passed. She sat the wooden chair, eyes wide and hands clasped in girlish excitement. She carefully listened to all of the stories Moody would tell, and then had quite a few discussions with him various spells and methods of tracking dark wizards. Though the man seemed somewhat paranoid Eloria noted, he was an endless source of information. He knew things, things that most Aurors could never dream of. The pair talked and talked. They talked, yelled some, whispered some, and talked. Finally, Eloria happened to kick her briefcase that was on her side. Moody's magic eye swiveled around to stare at it.  
"That's quite a suitcase you have there, Miss. Felton." His regular eye met Eloria's somewhat astonished face.  
"You know? I mean I know that you have the eye, but...you know?" Eloria began laughing slightly, shaking her head. He was truly a genius in her eyes.  
"I assume that was Elroy Felton's?" Moody asked, his voice ending in an eerie question.  
Eloria stopped and sat dead still. All the color drained from her face and she looked like she was frozen. Her mind was in a complete jumble. Her thoughts twisted and intertwined themselves so deep she couldn't think straight.  
"How....how...do you know about my great-grandfather?" Eloria managed to sputter out. Only one other person in Britain had realized her relationship with the great Irish Auror, Elroy Felton. It was a squat, square man she dealt with when getting the appropriate papers saying she had Auror credits. In America the name haunted her. Between her father being an official, and the legend of her great-grandfather, one of the most famous Auror's of his time, she never got a moments peace.  
"I assumed he was a relation of yours, considering all of your extensive Auror knowledge. Don't know much about him besides he was before the time of Grindelwald," said Moody as if he were lecturing a class. He took a swig from his hipflask.  
Nervously reaching into her pockets as she normally did when her family was brought up, Eloria felt a large round metal thing. Taking out of her pocket, she saw it was her pocket watch. Moody's magic eye now focused on the trinket Eloria held in her hand.  
"Another from Elroy?" Moody questioned.  
"Yes, he left me all of his Auror gadgets. The briefcase and this watch are just a few of many." Clicking it open, she read the long twisted ticking hands: half past three.  
"My god! I must get going...got to study and all that." Eloria jumped up, and grabbed her briefcase. "It's been an honor, sir."  
Moody neither extended his hand, nor stood. He sat in his chair, looking directly up into Eloria's gaze. His blue eye was fixed on her pupils. This confused Eloria slightly though. How could one eye focus on two? Yet Moody interrupted her thoughts.  
"It's nice to talk to someone who is vigilant...yes. There is more to you Eloria than you let out." Moody grunted. Eloria felt as if someone had put ice down his back. She knew his eye could see through most everything, but how could he know about her? With a nod of his head, Eloria turned on her heels and practically sprinted over to the other side of the office to Higgins's cubicle.  
Not even bothering to get his attention first, Eloria began speaking. "Higgins- thanks a bunch for setting up that meeting with Moody. He's amazing. Anyway, I must run. I have to practice as well as start searching the papers for place!" Not even looking up from his papers this time, Higgins gave a slight wave of recognition, and Eloria darted down the hall, yet in the opposite direction of the giant oak doors. She didn't notice a black haired man watching her run.  
  
Eloria had no intention of going back to her hotel yet. Earlier, when Higgins had dragged her all over the office to Moody's cubicle, she noticed oak doors in the far back of the room. By listening carefully to conversations and using her own logic, she figured that the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office had to be past those doors. Eloria wanted to check up on her first acquaintance in Britain, a Mister Arthur Weasley.  
Expecting to burst into another giant, cubicle filled office after she opened the giant oak doors; Eloria was surprised to find herself in yet another hallway. Luckily, a dingy sign that read, "Misuse of Muggle Artifacts" hung on one of the dingiest doors.  
Inside this dingy door, she found a red-haired man sitting at a desk. The room was no bigger than a closet, and Eloria was amazed about how they got anything to fit within the doorway. She took note of the lack of any magic windows, like the ones that were scattered around the Auror Headquarters. Her expression, even given her conditions, did not change. Eloria had trained and even slept in far worse conditions that the ones that stood before her, when she was at the AAWA.  
"Mr. Arthur Weasley? This is Eloria, Eloria Felton. The witch who you met on the eleva...lift earlier today?" Eloria spoke, her tone very quiet. She didn't want to startle the man who was still battling with the skateboard with a mind of its own.  
"Oh, Miss. Felton! Call me Arthur. Umm..." The man stood up, and was hastily looking for a chair to offer Eloria. The cramped space was clearly not meant to have any visitors within it.  
"Oh, no problem. I've just sat for the past couple of hour talking to Alastor Moody. Standing feels good. And call me Eloria." Eloria leaned against the wall, smiling at the man. "I just thought I would stop in and say thank you to the first friendly face I met in London."  
"Why, did you just say you were talking to Mad-Eye?"  
"Yes...what's wrong with that? We talked about most everything....he's an amazing man you know."  
"Yes, an amazing Auror. But most find him...a bit paranoid to have a conversation with. Mind you I have the highest respect for the man..."  
"Paranoid? Well, yes, I suppose..."  
And the two lapsed into a conversation about various Aurors. While Eloria was probably an extreme opposite of Arthur, the two proved to get along great. Eloria felt as if she had met someone who she could finally trust...well; trust in Eloria's own way. Once again she found herself talking and talking.  
"They are making you wait two weeks?" Arthur questioned, after he found out the delay of Eloria's testing.  
"Yes! And I have had to leap across who knows how many boundaries, sign how much paper work. You would think they would just be happy to have someone wanting to join the team. It's not as if you can't use me."  
"It's a shame you haven't been dealing with Dumbledore. Great man Dumbledore."  
"Not...the Dumbledore. The Dumbledore who is probably the most powerful wizard in the entire planet..."  
"Well, yes." And Arthur began telling Eloria of his efforts in fighting off the evil wizard, Voldermort. She was fascinated by his stories.  
"Anyway, if you had been dealing with him, I would think you would be accepted straight away."  
"Well, I'm not. So I have to deal with what I got..."Eloria casually looked at her watch and saw 30 minutes had gone by. This man was supposed to be working! What in her right mind what she doing!  
"Shoot! I've kept you from work far too long. It's been great. I'll see you..." Eloria was going to say "soon" but she wasn't sure whether that would be true or not. Arthur seemed to pick up on her dilemma.  
"Again," He finished. He waved at Eloria as she backed out of the door.  
  
"Far too talkative I am. Wasting people's time...yet it was very informative..." Eloria said to herself as she walked down the hallway and opened the doors into the Auror Headquarters. She kept muttering as she passed the line of cubicles. Eloria was so wrapped up in her thoughts; she didn't notice a black haired man, leaning against the side of a cubicle watching her. In the cubicle, sat another man, yet his black hair was very untidy and he didn't have the same air about him. The man standing leaned over to the sitting one.  
"James? Who is that witch...the one whose been storming around this office for the past two days?"  
"Dunno Sirius. Anyway...regarding..."  
Yet Sirius wasn't listening. He was watching Eloria walk out the giant oak doors of the office. 


	8. Fulfilled

Eloria's days became a routine; waking up at 9 o'clock, she would dress and then walk down the stairs and take a seat at the bar in the Leaky Cauldron. While eating her small breakfast and having her morning cup of coffee, which Eloria liked to call "the elixir of life," she would read the Daily Prophet that Tom had given her. Everyday, like clockwork, an owl would deliver a letter with a Ministry of Magic seal. It would always be from Higgins, telling her she needed to come down to the office at ten. Many times Eloria told him this daily letter was unnecessary, but he insisted that the plans might change one day. Not wanting to waste her time fighting the man, Eloria allowed him to continue. By the time she had finished reading the Prophet and Higgins's letter, it would be 9:45 which left her just enough time to run up to her rooms, grab her beloved briefcase, and apparate into the hallway outside of the Auror Headquarters. She was always careful to apparate into the corner right besides the lift which was rather out of the way, to ensure that no one would fall victim like that one man had. Eloria had always meant to check with Higgins about Ministry apparating rules, but considering she never was told she couldn't apparate directly in front of the headquarters, she just continued doing it.  
It was only a few days before Eloria was to take her official British Exam, and she had just apparated and walked into the headquarters. This place was beginning to feel like home to Eloria. Higgins had said in his letter he had "a surprise" for her when she arrived. Eloria was not sure whether to be excited or nervous. The last time he had a "surprise" for her; it was a complete outline of last year's Auror test, and how to study for each section.  
"Good morning Higgins. So, before I die of anticipation, tell me what this surprise is," Eloria casually said as she walked up to the man's cubicle.  
"Eloria. Glad to see you. Yes, your surprise. Follow me," Higgins said, in his usual, louder-than-life voice. He stood up from his chair, and walked out of his cubicle. He started walking down the hall, and Eloria scurried to catch up with his fast pace. He led her through a maze of cubicles, much as he had done when he had arranged her to meet with Moody.  
"Maybe he's having me meet someone special. I've already met Moody, the Longbottoms, very nice people they were, and let's see..." Eloria thought to herself. She began counting the people she had met on her fingers. "Benjy Finwick I met a few days ago, Edgar Bones was last week, oh yes and Elphias Dodge too..." All of the people she had met had specialized in something or someone so to say. It seemed each Auror was assigned a dark wizard to catch, or work on a certain location. Eloria thought it was the perfect wizarding system.  
Eloria blindly followed Higgins. He led her to an empty cubicle. Dust had gathered on the desk, and a spider had made itself a nice web in an open drawer.  
"This," said Higgins, with is arms held up. "Is yours."  
Eloria blinked.  
"Muh...muh...mine? But Higgins, I haven't even passed the test yet. For all you know, I could be kicked out of the Ministry....I could..."  
"Eloria, if anyone was to ever pass this test, it would be you. Besides, someone..." Higgins coughed. He cleared his throat and continued. "Someone wanted to make sure we would have space for you."  
Eloria was dumbstruck. She had always felt like an outsider before, sitting in Higgins cubicle, studying the test outlines. Now, she was one of them. One of the elite. One of the British Aurors. She felt as if she had one the lottery. She felt as if someone had told her she could see her mother again. She felt as if she had finally fulfilled her dream...finally fulfilled....it. Finally fulfilled the prophecy.  
As Eloria stood, beaming at the cubicle, Higgins patted her on the back.  
"A few simple cleaning spells should do it. I assume you'll want to do it, it being "yours" and all that. I'll leave you to it..." And Higgins began to walk away.  
"Wait! Higgins!" Eloria called.  
Turning around, Higgins looked at Eloria puzzled.  
"I can't."  
"Oh, Eloria, it's yours. You will pass the test easily."  
"No. Not that kind of can't. I mean, I can't. I literally can't."  
"What?"  
"You said, a few cleaning spells should do it and you'll leave me to it. I can't."  
It was Higgins's turn to blink silently.  
"You can't do cleaning spells?"  
"Oh, not just them. You see..." Eloria took a deep breath. How was she going to explain this? "You see, I am brilliant at any spell, charm, hex, potion, or magic that is involved in magical law enforcement or dark wizard catching, basically anything that had to do with being an Auror. I can decode any message, find any dark wizard, make myself virtually disappear in a crowd and reappear as someone else; I can fool anybody and yet not be fooled myself. Yet because I crammed my brain with everything and anything that has to do with being an Auror, there was no room for anything else. I can't perform the simplest of charms such as cleaning spells or transfigure the simple things, such as beetles into buttons. Oh yes, I can perform a DIS ILLUSION MENT charm, and oh yes I can transfigure myself temporarily into any creature, yet the simple things I can't do. The only real useful charm I know is the summoning charm. I took a wandless- magic class at the AAWA you see. It's a relatively new type of magic that channels your emotions. It's the same concept as when kids first discover they are a witch or wizard and perform magic without a wand. So, to pass that class, I learned to summon any easily moveable object without my wand. Quite handy too considering I am always loosing or misplacing my wand...yet my point is, I may be an amazing Auror, but am the worst housekeeper or heck, worst general witch there is."  
Higgins stood, speechless for a while. Eloria didn't know if he was going to have a heart attack or run ten miles away. He chose to crack up laughing instead. It was a long time till he had managed to stop, and had attracted many stares in the process. Everyone in the office was listening to him as he began to talk to Eloria.  
"You can do summoning charms and that's it? That's it! Now, I have met some strange witches and wizards that I have helped register and such, but never one as...unique as you Eloria. Summoning charms! Well, I'll spare you some grief." With a wave of his wand and a few words, the dust and cobweb disappeared from Eloria's cubicle. He walked away, loudly chuckling to himself.  
Head held low in shame, Eloria sat down on the now clean office chair and placed her briefcase on the empty desk. She looked over her new desk, opened up all the drawers and cabinets. It would fit Eloria quite nicely. She did find the bare walls completely boring though, and noticed throughout her daily journeys through the Auror office, that everyone pretty much decorated theirs. She opened her briefcase, and not trusting her ability to unpack properly with a wand, and began to dig around.  
  
An hour later, Eloria stood and admired her handiwork. Various organizers and office storage units were placed on her desk, alongside a large stack of clean parchment and several rows of bottled ink. New and used quills were placed in a cup that was labeled "AAWA: Class of 1978" that was just to the left of where her briefcase lay on her desktop. On the far right of her desk, various objects littered the surface. These objects included a sneakoscope, a hand mirror, an old fashioned ladies fan, a silver spray bottle, a large rememberall and a mass of other clutter. The walls of her cubicle became just as littered as her desk. A large poster with Quodpot players zooming about in navy robes hung next to an abundance of newspaper clippings. Photos were hung from various spots around the cubicle: some were of Eloria herself receiving her AAWA diploma or in her Quod uniform. Other pictures were obviously very old, but of a younger man. Eloria was very proud of her decorating work, and with a swelled chest, sat down to review some coding techniques she hadn't studied since Kingsbury.  
This entire time, it hadn't Eloria hadn't noticed that she had an onlooker watching her, from the next cubicle. She sat down reading her manual, and lazily fingered a bit of her hair.  
Someone cleared their throat. Eloria kept reading.  
Someone cleared their throat again, and again. Finally looking up, Eloria turned to her right and found a man staring at her. He was relatively tall and had messy black hair.  
"Yes?" Eloria said, with an obviously fake smile, and too-cherry voice. She went back to her reading. She had just about figured out how to crack this code, and was getting annoyed with all of this man's interruptions.  
"Who are you?" The man asked, trying to sound polite, though is curiosity was getting the best of him. Eloria looked up.  
"I think the better question is sir, who are you?" she said, and resumed reading.  
"James Potter. Err, are you, er, a new Auror?" The man was now leaning very far into her cubicle. He seemed friendly enough Eloria decided, and the fact that she was in the Auror Headquarters of the Ministry of Magic helped to reassure her judging thoughts, yet she was still weary. You just never know who anybody is.  
"Well, I'm in a rather complicated situation. In short, I will be a Ministry of Magic certified Auror within a couple of days. Name's Eloria, Eloria Felton." She resumed her reading and decoding.  
"Ah, okay." The man clearly wanted to know more, but was nice enough to leave Eloria alone. She lifted an eye up from her manual, and carefully watched this, James Potter. He was rather friendly. Yet rather forward. He had offered his name first though, a sign of openness. He can probably be easily deceived or betrayed.  
"Oh what am I thinking? Analyzing the poor man as if he were some sort of specimen," she thought to herself. "He seems nice enough. Besides, he could turn into a real friend."  
"I'm from America," said Eloria, causing James to suddenly turn around and face the now smiling Eloria. "And I graduated from the Auror Academy of Western America. I'm here to make myself feel useful. It seems you can use anybody and everybody that is available, to fight against this, you-know-who. I'm taking the British Auror Test so your Ministry will allow me to work her. I guess we are neighbors now." Eloria extended her hand.  
With a half smiling, half bewildered look on his face, James took Eloria's hand. 


End file.
